If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Massacre Girls (Rated M)

Closed to Amari.

The horizon was an endless sea of drab. In the lower half of the view port, you had rolling snowdrifts occasionally broken up by a smattering of green from pine trees that had not been fully covered by the blizzards. In the upper half, a blanket of clouds thick as pea soup and gray as you'd imagine the northern reaches of Salvar to be. The sky always looked ready to dump another five feet of snow on you, and was just waiting for you to look at it the wrong way.

I was thankful for just a light breeze of thirty-five miles per hour at the elevation we flew at. What was that in knots? I don't think it's too much of a difference, but it would be good to know for future reference. If I'm going to captain an airship, I would need to brush up on my aeronautical terminology.

I rose from the creaky leather of the captain's chair and strode across the cabin. The chill of the winter air crawled all over my skin, no matter how tight I pulled the fancy long coat around my body. Occasionally, a whiff of the previous owner's cologne and body odor was strong enough to break through my shitty sense of smell, and maaaan was it gross. He probably never washed it. Probably never took it off, really. He didn't seem like the kind of person who cared much about laundering techniques. But, in his defense, I only knew him long enough to ram a shard of broken glass into his throat and kick his naked, flapping body out of an air hatch.

“Our journey shouldn't take much longer,” I said to the crew. “I just hope she doesn't mind me dropping in uninvited.”

Nobody answered. Not that they could—they were all dead.

Three Alerarans with cordyceps mycelium wrapped around their necks like sapphire chokers continued their work, one manning the steering wheel, the other two doing airship engineer shit. They monitored various gauges and twitching needles with clouded eyes, twisting knobs and shifting levers up and down to keep us afloat and compensate for the wind that pounded us from all sides.

The Sinistar--well, hang on, it was still The Blade of Agnon until I could land and get one of these n'urds to paint the new name over the old one--was also crewed by ten other men that milled around the rest of the airship. They had various duties, all of them irrelevant to me, but each had a bit of combat training. The Blade was one of about five recon craft that flew along the border between Alerar and Raiaera, keeping an eye on their occupation forces as they tried to take their ancient home back from the high elves inch by bloody inch. But one day, a bipedal houseplant stowed aboard and started throwing spores and acid everywhere, and then whoops it slipped off into the nighttime sky and was never heard from again. I left a few hints near the southern part of the border where the two countries met the sea that the Blade malfunctioned and sank into the sea before turning north towards those familiar frozen wastes.

As far as I could tell, I hadn't been followed by any other ships, so the ruse must have worked.

Had to admit, I was a bit disappointed. I would've loved to notched my first cannon kill.

Over the course of the next half an hour, a certain mountain range lurched up from the snow in the distance. One I had promised never to return to many times before but hey here we are again how about that.

The Seventh Sanctum.

It was the home of a revolving door of assholes, villains, monsters, freaks, idiots, criminals, mercenaries, killers, demons, and all sorts of other things. It was all held together by a pale redhead with a penchant for saying dumb, mopey, depressing stuff about how she doesn't have any feelings anymore. And then there was the leaking black smoky shit everywhere she went thing, too. But she was incredibly handy to have around, and very good at killing things.

I would just need her to keep her hands to her fucking self whilst in my new beautiful wooden airship. The last thing I needed was for her to brace herself against the wall and suddenly I have a new view port.

“Prepare for landing,” I ordered the undead crew as I left the bridge. “Drop us down in front of the main gate.” The propulsion engines groaned in protest as their power was cut bit by bit. My knees buckled as I felt the craft lowering in the air. Two other Alerarans sensed what was happening, and rushed past me towards their posts in preparation of what was to come.

I turned the brass knob of a door and pushed it open to reveal the captain's quarters. It was a bit on the cozy side, but had everything I needed. A small chest to store my effects in, an elliptical mirror hung over a writing desk, an overhead lamp powered by a runic battery that did its job a little too well, and a bed that was little more than a five inch-thick padded mattress set on a raised area with more storage underneath.

Walking up to the mirror, I gazed into it. What stared back was absolutely monstrous. Gnarled, twisted vines wrapped in a mockery of a face. Sharpened, yellowed teeth made of bone. Four glittering amber eyes.

At least I filled out the Blade's former captain's outfit rather well.

The coat was stashed in the chest--possibly a reminder of the poor fucker's past life as a buccaneer. It was almost black, and had a healthy amount of gold and red decorative trim. Certainly not standard Aleraran Fleet garb. That I had also commandeered from his corpse before it went overboard. It was a boring olive jumpsuit, more practical than anything. I adjusted the black tricorn hat on top of my head, which was also in the chest. It fit perfectly.

It was after the events in that seedy bar, after her breakdown, after her skin had leaked oozing black smoke and her very touch destroyed everything around her. Her presence no longer filled the very air heavy with death and decay, although lingering too long would make you feel you were traversing an unkempt morgue or cemetery. It was after her recovery (If you could really call it that) and after she found out she was somehow with child. Now, after all was said and done she sat in the near-empty main hall. Legs folded underneath her as she sat in the chair made of human bone which she so readily spouted her despise for. The intricate red dress which her beloved 'Master' insisted she wore was neatly hung up on a dress-doll in her personal quarters. Instead, she wore a long woolen jumper that extended past her bare knees, its sleeves covered her hands and only her thin fingertips protruded, wrapped neatly around an oversized mug.

Steam rose from it and despite not feeling the cold Scarlet found herself leeching the warmth from the ceramic. She raised it to her lips and drank deep. Normally she was not one for hot cocoa, or anything else of the sort. Too sweet for her tastes. Yet here she was, drinking the stuff. Perhaps it was Madison's of it that had Scarlet drinking it, or perhaps it was the little writhing ball of soon-to-be-dramatic shit inside of her. Either way, she wanted it. So naturally. She had it. She wanted peace, time away from emotional drama. Away from he said, she said bullshit. Away from silver-haired broken bushidos and amber-eyed playboy dickweeds, away from half-goat self-righteous women, away from thieving little fae who were too chicken shit to do anything and away from snarky bile filled shitty plant people who sit around and complain abou-

"Mistress Scarlet!"

Well... So much for that.

Scarlet sighed as she rose her tri-coloured eyes to Advencia. "Yes Advencia?"

The demoness huffed. Her tail swishing side to side, most avoided Scarlet when she wanted her 'peace'. Not the succubus. The blonde haired blue eyed girl wasn't afraid of the red headed assassins ire. She met Scarlets inky black gaze with its flecks of fiery crimson and ring of golden with burning blue eyes of her own. "We have a problem."

Scarlet waved her hand nonchalantly. "Mmm... whatever it is, tell Ulroke I'll get to it later. Don't get his li’l panties in a twist." She closed her eyes again, assuming that'd be that. She had more or less kept to herself since the ordeal, and few knew of her 'predicament.' Those closest to her--Ulroke, Richard, Advencia and Zero (Formally Taka) those were the only ones that knew; and for as long as she could, Amari wanted to keep it that way. Let others assume she was getting a little fat. That was easier. When the time came she'd probably go into hiding. Hell, if Ulroke could do it, why couldn't she? Or she could pay Aurelianus a visit, perchance the fleshcrafter could rip out her intact womb and then she could let it do its own thing. Away from her.

"Scarlet."

"What?" Scarlet snapped back. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of an inner monologue?"

The blonde haired girl shifted awkwardly. "Uhm--no. Not really..."

Amari sighed as she leaned forward and placed the cup on the large wooden table. "Then what is it?"

"There's a, uhm.. ’airship’ preparing to land at our front gate."

"A fuckin' what?" Scarlet stood up straight. Yeah. Ok. This was a problem. "Why the fuck are you in here then? Get the guards out, light the fire arrows." Scarlet started to storm around the side of the table and past Advencia, who quickly followed behind. "Do we have fire mages? Or Wizards or whatever? I want that thing blasted out the fucking sky."

BAM! The doors to outside flung open and a flurry of cold wind struck Scarlet’s face; she paid it no mind. Cold like this was nothing to her. She stalked barefoot across the grounds barking orders at the slew of mercenaries, assassins, layabouts, thieves and other men of ill repute that lived in the Sanctum. "The fuck are you all doing?! Get up there, get that shit on fire! I want it burning to the ground HALF an hour ago,” she hissed.

The damn thing had already landed outside the gates. Scarlet motioned for the men to lower it; she'd take care of this thing herself if she had to.

"What kind of dumb fuck just waltzes up to our doorstep unannounced," She muttered under her breath.

"A dead one?"

Scarlet glanced over at Advencia, who offered a small smile. Scarlet returned it. "I suppose so."

"You know… I'm glad you're beginning to show some sort of emotion again." Advencia crooned as she stepped closer to Scarlet, keeping her hand at her side, on her dagger ready to defend the redhead.

"Really? And here I thought people preferred me stoic."

"No. Even Ulroke was unner-"

"This isn’t the time for this sort of chat. It's useless, filler. Wasting time." Scarlet said as she stopped short of the giant wooden airship, awaiting whoever would come out. "In the end, none of it will matter. Just sit tight and be ready to fire at whatever dumb shit walks out of that ship."

The door to the main cabin opened, revealing a welcoming party of several dozen greasy mercenaries. Each of them gripped longbows like their lives depended on it, the tips of their arrows dancing with fire and pointed directly at the hull of my beautiful and highly flammable airship.

My good mood immediately soured. “Put those fucking things out before I shove them up your asses,” I growled.

I could practically hear Advencia's eyes rolling around in her skull from fifty feet away.

“Nice to see you too, ya' fuckdoll,” I hissed at the succubus. I never could figure out what that bitch's problem was. Did she hang onto Lye's lingering grudges against me for the year he spent buried under the mountain, rotting in his own prison cells? Fuckin' whatever. I could waste her in a second. One hand tied behind my back. No, both hands. Blindfolded. If she so much as looked at me cross-eyed, I'd melt those shiny sapphires right out of their sockets.

As I continued down the ramp, a pair of zombified Aleraran airmen followed, paint buckets and brushes in hand, a pair of ladders hung on their shoulders, ready to rechristen the airship. They wouldn't take much longer than it would for me to collect my little Ar'Tuel friend for a girls' night out.

Speaking of which, Amari took a step closer. Despite being bare-foot in ankle-deep snow, she was looking considerably healthier than the last time I saw her. Her porcelain skin was healing up, there was a slight golden coloring in her eyes, and she didn't look so damn lost.

“Madison,” she said, her tone guarded after being dropped in on so unexpectedly.

With a smile and a grand gesture, I addressed the redhead. “Ah, yes, you. Pack your bags, grab some snacks, and get in the airship. You and I are going to have some fun.”

She exchanged an unreadable glance with Advencia. Well, I couldn't read Amari's eyes--Advencia, on the other hand, had her distrust for me plastered all over her stupid fucking pretty face.

The demoness opened her mouth to spurt something that would keep Amari locked up in the Sanctum, but I was close enough to slap her upside the head to shut her up. So I did. She didn't really appreciate that, but one quick glare silenced her for good.

“I have not been doing well,” I said, my voice low enough that the assorted rabble wouldn't hear. “I need to get away. I need to get back to my roots. I need to be me again, Amari. And I can't think of anyone better than you to help me do this.”

I slid an arm around her shoulder and persuaded her towards the gates of the Sanctum. Even through the thick fabric of the captain's coat, I could feel her corrosive aura nibbling away at my flesh. But I didn't care.

“It'll be just you and I. Best friends forever, right? Through the good times and the bad?” I licked the sharpened points of my teeth. “Good times for us, bad times for everyone else that is, yeah?"

Ok, ok, ok--so a dumb shit DID technically walk out of that wooden airship that Scarlet was ready to have set aflame; but godammit if it wasn't Madison herself. The Briarheart had a few Aleraran men in tow, all messed up with whatever venomous spores that the woman spewed from that gnarled mouth of hers. Whatever. Scarlet didn't care. She watched silently as Madison and Advencia had some sort of internal war with their eyes and body language.

Fuck. The two should just get a room....

A small smirk twitched at the corners of Scarlets lips as she entertained the thought of the two being left alone in a room together. Both formidable fighters, both at each other’s throats. Entertaining.

Still...Scarlet knew the distaste Advencia had for Madison. Advencia had become far too attached to the redheaded assassin, and part of her ire toward Madison was her fear of the woman taking Scarlet away.

And lo and behold guess what Madison just had planned!

"For someone who abhors the Hand and swears herself away from it… I do find it amusing to see you constantly returning," Scarlet mused as Briar had whisked her away and under her briar-knit arm--which Scarlet knew was hissing and bubbling away at the mere touch. Woman had balls; but Scarlet knew that. "And really? Slapping poor Advencia." Scarlet laid the sarcasm on thick. "She's a tad precious for that don't you think?"

Madison didn't respond but the flicker of her eyes said it all. God, this woman was like 90% snark, 5% vines and 5% questionable shit. "Right, old buddy ol' pal oh friend of mine..." Scarlet began, returning that with just as much of her own. She ignored the use of her dead name. Madison was one of the few, if only people Scarlet would tolerate using that name. Anything else from Madison’s lips… err… vines? would have sounded weird. (How the fuck did she formulate speech?)

"Really... you couldn't think of anyone, absolutely [/i]anyone[/i] better for this? Fuck me, woman--! A pet ROCK would be better at this than me. Hell, you'd be able to lob it at someone’s head and do some damage, too. Still..."

Scarlet glanced at Advencia who was rubbing her cheek, her other hand clutched at her lower abdomen as she stared directly at Scarlet. It was a sign, it was practically screaming at Scarlet ’woman you're fuckin' preggers don't be goin' out and starting shit. You're meant to be on home rest'.

Heh... Home rest... like she or even Lye could stop Scarlet from doing what she wanted.

"I've been out of sorts myself... and frankly, I’m going a little stir crazy around the compound. You'd think after all this time, I'd be used to the stench of unwashed brute by now. Give me one moment and I'll join you, oh bestest best friend o' mine."

Scarlet shrugged off Madisons arm and approached Advencia, the moment she was within earshot the tiny succubus started her hurried, hushed whispers. "Mistress! You can't possibly be thinking of doing this! You need to stay here, we need to watch you. You're...you're...." Her sapphire eyes fell to Scarlets cracked skin. "You're not… well. You're recovering and you have a child to think of! You need to be monitored. Master was very strict with-ee-"

Scarlet knew there was one surefire way to shut up Advencia, and that was either to shank her in the gut--which Scarlet couldn't do at the moment--or to kiss her. So in one swift move Scarlet whisked up the tiny succubus, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her in close before pressing her lips to the rosy reds of Advencia’s. The contact lasted no more than a second before Scarlet unceremoniously pushed Advencia away.

"I can handle it."

"B-buh..uh..."

Yup. Shut her up good.

Scarlet waved the men off, who were still aiming their lit arrows at the airship. Goddammit....didn't they have half a mind of their own? Sure, Madison wasn't exactly....part of the Hand, but she was a business partner of Scarlet’s. Or, apparently now best friends through thick and thin, or whatever the briarheart was spewing. At least it wasn't those damned spores. Or god forbid, like Aure--swarms of gross insects.

"Right, let's not dilly dally. Time to re-root, or plant or whatever it is you kids do these days to fix yourself." Scarlet said with an air of humored sarcasm as she stepped onto the airship. "I forgot my snacks, perhaps we should stop off and get some on the way?"

Stop for snacks? My amber eyes drifted down to her waistline. Was it me, or were her clothes hugging her just a bit more snug than the last time we met? Goodness, how long ago was it--one month? Two, perhaps? Yeah, definitely around two months. The assassin was definitely packing on some pounds. I suppose you have to keep insulated against the extreme cold northern Salvar was infamous for. Or maybe she was just getting lazy. Ulroke was gone, and her slowly growing ass was keeping his bone throne warm. Commanding this collection of cocksuckers must have kept her from getting out in the field herself.

Either way, this little trip would be good for her. Best case scenario, she's finally going to get some exercise. Worst case, a little extra marbling would make getting rid of the evidence even tastier.

“Sure, we can stop wherever you'd like.” I led her through the interior of the airship towards the main cabin, hissing orders to my elven crew the entire way. “The ship still has plenty of food stored away, as I'm the only one who's alive enough to need it. It's mostly shitty military rations, though. And fruit.”

I threw myself down into a stuffy, padded chair and motioned for Amari to have a seat across from me. She obliged. On the low circular table between us laid a faded map of the entire continent, the countries of Salvar, Alerar, and Raiaera clearly marked with separate colors. Each region was painstakingly labeled, with each major and secondary road noted with thick black swaths of ink. Big cities and smaller towns, forts, trading posts, supply depots, train and airship stations, sea ports, fucking everything was present and accounted for by the Aleraran army. Bless their obsession with detail.

My sharp grin only widened. A lust for ultraviolence swelled in the pit of my stomach. My heart fluttered with the thoughts of the terror that we were about to unleash on the world.

“I'll let you pick where.”

Amari shot me one of those cocked eyebrows that she loved to give out. “Isn't this whole trip your idea? And you're making me decide?”

Hungry amber light flashed in my eyes. “I'm not the one who grew up a princess or baroness or whatever in this frozen hellhole. I was raised in Radasanth. I don't know anything about the local delicacies, or the best restaurants, the prime places to sample the local flavor and raise a little havoc.”

The Ar'Tuel's gaze drifted back down towards the map. I felt myself growing more and more impatient.

I wanted to kill. I wanted to feed. I wanted to become the horror that I always knew I am, just once more. I wanted to remind everyone of the Scourge of Eiskalt.

I wanted to see the fear in another man's eyes before I popped them out of their sockets. I wanted to see how much blood I could pull from someone with my thorns before their lifeless body hit the crimson-tainted snow. I wanted to hear the dying screams of countless people and savor the tortured cries of their children.

Scarlet stared at the map before her. "I want to be back by evening. Technically, I shouldn't be leaving the compound."

"Since when did you ever listen to that silver haired twat-faced--"

"Madison," Scarlet said. She normally didn't mind when people smack-talked Ulroke, but it was becoming a little too commonplace for Scarlet’s liking. The man was already on edge, and her being whisked away wouldn't alleviate that. "I believe that was your recommendation to him."

The Briarheart waved her hand off, hissing her contempt toward the redheaded assassin. "Fuck it, just hurry up and pick then. We need to go."

Something was… off about the woman before Scarlet. Madison was always snarky, filled with contempt for everything around her, but she wasn't… this fidgety. There was the absence of that cool and calculating demeanor, and of Hyperion. Scarlet wasn't going to question it. Instead she pointed to a rural place on the map. She would test her hunch another way. "This place has fantastic food, their meats are thick cut and well marbled, and it’s a quiet area. Rural. Barely a man, woman or child in sight. For a pair o' notorious ladies such as us, it'd be the perfectly peaceful getaway to--"

A low growl emanated from the woman before her and Scarlet felt that she was going to get a shot of acid thrown into her face at any second. "Course... that's a bit too far away now ain't it?" Her finger trailed across the map and pointed to another area. "Here, this should only be half an hour at full flight speed. We may have trouble landing the airship. It's a new township, but its very busy. Bustling with a group of crusaders. I think they were calling themselves the White Blight Knights or something shitty like that. Group of do-gooders from across Salvar that formed their own troupe. I've been keeping tabs on them since there are rumours they want to take on the hand. The pub there is less pleasant and filled with these guys and their families. But I suppose we could--"

"Yes!" Madison hissed.

Bingo. The damn fuckin' crazy bitch wasn't out for a leisurely stroll. She didn't want a nice chit-chat. She wanted violence, she wanted to let off some steam, and who was Scarlet to stop her. In the assassins eyes, this killed two birds with one stone. It would eradicate a threat to the hand and it would appease Madison. Plus, it got Scarlet out of the compound for a while. She was feeling a little too… emotional lately and it'd do good to sink her fingers into some trouble.

With a sharp whistle she called forth one of the Ravens that followed her closely. Albeit the flock lessened after her fall into insanity, at least one or two remained loyal. One of which was L'Oreal. She stared at the black eyed bird who had flown in from the open hangar. "Tell Ulroke I will be back by nightfall. I'm eradicating that group of hero-wannabe soldiers south of here." The bird cawed twice at her and Scarlet narrowed her gaze. "We're already lifting off, I'm not about to jump off an airship." The bird shook its head, cawed at her one last time then flew off, ducking out the door before it fully closed shut.

With that out the way Scarlet turned her scelera eyes toward Madison. "So Madison, I can't help but notice the absence of Hyperion. What'd you do? Tell her you're off on some book hunt?"

What did she call them? The White Blight Knights? Never heard of them. Don't care for the name. I love a good rhyme as much as the next person, but whoever picked out their name probably did so after jamming an ice pick into their ear canal. And with a name like that, they were dead ringers for heroes.

I fucking hate heroes.

Worst people on the planet. Walking around like they're better than everyone else, demanding that the defenseless rabble buy them a round at the tavern after a long day of cutting the heads off whatever local monster was blamed for the latest coincidental catastrophe. Necromancers, bandits, and the like gotta' provide for their families too--and who comes along to run two and a half feet of polished steel through their chests? Heroes. All because they don't agree with their methods. Do they even realize that they're no different from the “villains” they claim to hunt? They're murderers just as much as their prey are. Some even more so.

And these White Blight Knights Or Whatever sound like a bunch of younglings. A bunch of mewling newbies. Probably don't even know how to sharpen a sword, just how to polish one. Did they think of themselves as day-savers worthy of immortality in the songs of bards and verses of poets?

Oh, we were going to give them a good thrashing. If they wanted to be in stories, then gods-dammit, they'd get their wish. It'd just be a shame that nobody was going to survive long enough to tell them. Maybe I'd paint a rude limerick in the snow with their blood. Something to let anyone who happens upon the scene that heroes--how that word brings such a horrible taste to my mouth!--will not be tolerated.

...oh, wait. Amari's still talking.

I tried to wipe my violent fantasies from my mind, but they left behind a deep crimson smear that just wouldn't go away. “I'm sorry, what did you say?”

“Hype?” Hype. Hype is a good person. The one good thing I've ever had in my life.

The one thing holding me back from being who I truly am. Always cooking something in the kitchen, those dreadful cookies of hers. Steering me away from my laboratory in the basement, making sure I stay hidden in the forest. Always trying to get me to open up. To talk to her about my feelings. My feeeeeelings. My precious, murderous, venomous, contemptible, gut-rotting, hate-filled feelings. Fuck her. She's done nothing but be a whiny, screeching, singing busybody pest since the day I gave birth to her. Always holding me back. Always trying to make me a “better person”.

I didn't bother to answer Amari's question. She never liked Hype either. Could rot her vines away with a brush of her hand. Tried to, once. Should've let her. Instead, I snatched the map off the table and strode over to the wheel, where a pale Aleraran stood.

I shoved the map in front of his face and jammed a briar-knit finger into the black dot that designated the village Amari picked out.

“Take us here,” I hissed. “Fast as this bloated bag can go.”

Nearly lost my balance as the dead crewman turned the wheel, The Sinistar banking hard to the left in order to change course to the future scene of some horrible shit.

Aside from being tossed and turned in an airship, the trip there was uneventful. Whenever Scarlet had tried to ask a question she was deflected with a glare, a drool-riddled, half-lidded gaze or another question about 'what would a man taste like if he were roasted using tinderwood instead of oak'. Shit that Scarlet didn't quite understand. Whatever the case, Madison had one thing right. She was messed up. Something had snapped inside the Briarheart, and whatever that thing was wanted carnage.

So...

Before all the how-to-do of said carnage the two found themselves sitting in a little pub in a not-so-little town about three hours’ carriage ride outside of Knife’s Edge. Right now it was quiet. The early afternoon sun hit the windows and cast a strong and warm light across the room. There was no need to light the candles at the center of each table. Few people were there, a family with two younger kids sat in a booth in the back corner and an old man and his wife sat by the window exchanging pleasant conversation. The waitress, a young girl no older than 23 had a smile on her face as she bustled around the place asking if anyone needed anything and for the third time, refilling water at the tables. She was either bored or way too into her job.

Scarlet and Madison sat opposite each other. Each with a cup of hot cocoa cupped in their hands and for the first time, since, probably ever. Scarlet was the calm and calculating one. Madison was practically ready to jump out her seat. "Wait a little longer. They'll come in for their pre-scouting lunch, I assure you." Scarlet said quietly as she picked up the cup and took a sip. She winced. Too sweat. Scarlet placed it back down with a sigh. She wasn't sure why she was dragged on this quest. "I don't get why I need to come along to watch you literally tear the place up, Madison."

"It's too quiet," Madison hissed. "You promised there would be many hero types here. Where the fuck are they?"

"Probably scattered about the town. Now, unless you want to play a twisted game of hide and seek, sit tight."

Scarlet could tell that the Briarheart before her entertained the thought. Before Madison could act on said thoughts, Scarlet interjected. "Why did you bring me along? It’s not like you needed me. Sure, I know Salvar--but does that really matter? That's an Aleran airship. You could've stopped by anywhere and gone on a rampage. Why bring me along--especially after giving such strict instructions on keeping me away from such things?" Scarlet asked.

“Because,” I glared at Amari over the rim of my mug, my eyes flashing in angry amber light, “all my friends are useless, gone, or dead.”

Aurelianus pissed off to another dimension where every fuckable hole was replaced by the mouth of a lamprey, where he could finally be happy. Diggs and Hedge bit the dust during some recon mission in Alerar. Philomel, as much as she said was my friend and harbored no ill will after what I had done to her precious sluts, hated my guts--I'm certain of it. Even if I had dragged her along for the ride by the curved horns on her head, that stupid flaming fleabag of hers would've protested and ended up with another faceful of acid. Nevin would have shit his prissy pants at the first sign of danger. Hyperion would've furrowed her brow and shook her finger at me, tut-tutting the entire time. Lye...

...who fucking cares about him. Probably lost in the wilds, his self-pity rotting him from the inside out, desperate for someone to see his schemes through in his stead.

...do I really have so few friends? I mean, I knew that I have a lot of enemies--

I gulped down some of my hot chocolate and set it back down on the table. “At least I can count on you. You're pretty good at the whole senseless slaughter thing, y'know? I remember what you did to those twenty-some-odd slugs that raped you your first week in the Sanctum. Fucking worthless, the whole lot of 'em, but you still took the time to give them some pretty creative and thorough deaths.”

A sly grin creased my face. I licked my lips. “You're very much like me. A natural. An artist. Someone who I know can appreciate the look in someone's eyes as they draw their final breath. Someone who revels in it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be running the Hands like you do. And I need someone like you with me for this.”

The Ar'Tuel cocked an eyebrow for the millionth time today. “And you're not concerned with—”

“That book told me that people being shitty to you is what corrupts you,” I spat at her. “Not you being shitty to others. You'll be fine, I promise.”

I paused to take a deep breath. I was itching to lay some hands on someone. Dig my fingers into their soft, pale flesh. Tear out some vital organs and have an early lunch.

“Look, if you're that worried about your soul--” I reached into my pockets and produced a few gold coins. They fell onto the table with the distinct high-pitched clinking you normally associate with money.

“I'll pay for your lunch. There! Someone was nice to you! You've healed a bit! Now you have some wiggle room for the afternoon!”

We sat in silence, nursing our drinks while the morning slowly bled into the afternoon. Where were these blight knights or whatever they were called? Amari promised that they would be here eventually. What did I have to do to get these assholes over here? Was there like some sort of danger signal? A series of oddly-colored torches that lit up to summon the heroes wherever they were needed? Did I have to start the festivities early to bring them out of hiding or something?

My lungs filled with plague in anticipation, ready to let loose a cloud of death when the tiny bell above the doorway rang, announcing the arrival of fresh meat to the little restaurant.

There were six of them. Matching leather cuirasses and fur-lined hooded olive capes. Swords sheathed and dangling at their sides. Metal pins attached to their collars, gold formed into some sort of symbol that they shared among them.

I rose from my seat without a word. My breathing was increasingly ragged. Blood pounded in my temples. All I could see was red. All I could think about was death. Glorious, violent, bloody, messy, squishy, steaming, loud, satisfying death.

Somewhere, I thought I heard Amari ask me if I had a plan.

Plan?

No.

You don't plan something like this.

You walk up to your victims, drape your arms around two of them, pull 'em in close for an aggressively friendly greeting, ask them if they've been looking for you, and suddenly acid explodes out of every pore in your skin.

Scarlet blinked, a little surprised to hear the words come out of Madison’s mouth. "So you do consider me a friend?" She mused. "And here I thought we were just business acquaintances." She had to admit it felt a little… nice to know that Madison shared the sentiment of friendship. Scarlet didn't have much going on for her in her life. Anyone she ever considered a friend had either left her, betrayed her, died, or she had personally broken to the point that they were nothing more than an obedient pup. Oops. And her mismash stream of 'lovers'? Bah. The only real thing she had quite up and left her. Fucker. Scarlet's eyes narrowed as she thought about it. Shinsou-Vaan-fucking-Osiris. Thought to be dead, only to rise again from the ashes, canoodling some chick in a bar. Intel further suggested that the man was now fluttering about with fuzzy bitch tits. Funny. Last Scarlet checked, 'friends' didn't fuck their friends’ lovers. Then again, Philomel was always about the fucking, a sentiment Scarlet could admit she could get behind. The faun had a lady boner for him. He was the one who lead Scarlet astray. The two were better off with each other. Less drama, less pathetic emotions. Taka... he was useless. Lye? He made it clear that their relationship was nothing.

So who did that really leave? Who could Scarlet possibly ever really depend on?

She guessed it was the Briarheart before her.

"Friends..." The word sounded strange as it came from her lips. Strange… but good. Her eyes flickered gold before Scarlet closed them, rubbing the irritation she felt.

As Scarlet and Madison exchanged friendly chatter, she couldn't shake the feeling that something about the briarheart was very off. More so than usual. Pressing further, Madison promised that the book and shard of Scarlet’s soul would find its way back to the Sanctum, with all her translated notes. In the hands of Zavine. Good. Scarlet had to admit she thought Madison would have done some sort of goody-goody move and let Zavine go.

Conversations died down as Madison became more and more antsy, that is until...the White Blight Knights showed up. Madison practically jumped out of her chair to have at them. Meanwhile, Scarlet took one last sip of cocoa before the massacre began.

Screams filled the tavern and Scarlet sighed as she pushed herself out of the chair and headed straight for the door. No one would get the chance to leave, not if she had anything to say about it. The man that Madison spat a glob of acid into screamed and gurgled as his face melted away. His corpse collapsed to the floor with a thud, steam rising from the gelatinous crater that was once his face.

The older couple started begging with Scarlet.

"L-let us out!"

"Please! We're innocent."

"We just want to--" The lady's eyes widened then rolled into the back of her head. Thick, viscous blood pooled out and over her mouth before she too crumpled to the floor. The culprit waved dangerously in front of the old man, a hissing snake made of crackling red energy. Its body swung dangerously in the air before slicing clean through the old man's neck.

Scarlet would deal with the cleanup whilst Madison had fun fighting the White Blight whatever... Her scelera eyes shifted to Madison, who was currently chewing on a young man’s face. The red-haired assassin had to give the guy credit, he was still flailing about even as he was no doubt being eaten alive. Crunch! And with that horrible sound, the movement stopped. Madison gave a garbled giggle as she continued to messily slurp up the remnants.

"Geez," Scarlet muttered as she stepped on the corpse of the headless elderly man. "Do you have to eat so loudly?"

Madison paused and her back bristled. The mass of vines shifting. Scarlet could feel all four of those glowing eyes staring her down. There was another series of crunches before Madison snorted, tearing off a chunk of the knights flesh she held it out to Scarlet. "I'm sorry, where are my manners... would you like some?"

Scarlet took Madison’s offering and held it out in front of her between thumb and forefinger. "Thanks, I guess." She turned her nose up at the chunk. Parts of it had been seared by whatever pus Madison had spewed forth. Scarlet pulled it close to her nose and sniffed.

Scarlet bit the edge of the meat and tried to pull it away. Her teeth weren't razor-sharp and it took a great deal of effort. Scarlet finally managed to wrestle a nibble free, almost punching herself in the head in the process.

She chewed the meat slowly in her mouth. It… wasn't really that nice.

"Ptchew--!" She spat out onto the floor and wiped her mouth. "Honestly, it'd taste better cooked."